Remote debugging of a process is a privilege, and like all privileges, it must be granted to a user or group of users before its operation is allowed. The Microsoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET provide two mechanisms to enable remote debugging support: The Debugger Users group and the "Debug programs" user right.

Debugger Users Group

When you debug a remote .NET Framework-based application, the Debugger on your computer must communicate with the remote computer using DCOM. The remote server must grant the Debugger access, and it does this by granting access to all members of the Debugger Users group. Therefore, you must ensure that you are a member of the Debugger Users group on that computer. This is a local security group, meaning that it is visible to only the computer where it exists.

To add yourself or a group to the Debugger Users group, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the Desktop and choose Manage from the context menu.
2. Browse to the Groups node, which is found under the Local Users and Groups node of System Tools.
3. In the right pane, double-click the Debugger Users group.
4. Add your user account or a group account of which you are a member.



Debug Programs User Right

To debug programs that run under an account that is different from your account, you must be granted the "Debug programs" user right on the computer where the program runs. By default, only the Administrators group is granted this user right. You can check this by opening Local Security Policy on the computer. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, Administrative Tools, and then Local Security Policy.
2. Browse to the User Rights Assignment node under the Local Policies node.
3. In the right pane, double-click the "Debug programs" user right.
4. Add your user account or a group account of which you are a member.